The Internet is dumbing again

[mcity]

MegaUpload is a website for file-sharing. Most of the files on it are pirated. The FBI recently shut it down while they investigated. Not only were most of the files pirated, staff members actively encouraged it, removing specific links to files when asked to do so by content producers, but leaving the files themselves up. It's the equivalent of closing down a store's front entrance and selling things out through the back alley. Staff even posted links to pirated files themselves; the FBI has email exchanges.

A Harvard law professor argued that taking the site down discouraged innovation, and TorrentFreak, always ready to seize on the flimsiest justification, made a post about it. Then Reddit picked it up. The idea, basically, is that it prevents people from "exchangni ideas", therefore it's bad for innovation, and they could use the same rationale to shut down any file hosting site.

I'm sorry, if someone is accused of embezzling, with what basically amounts to objective, slam-dunk proof, you don't refrain from arresting them because their workplace will have to hire a temp. If a local business is accused of money-laundering, you don't let it stay open after you start arresting people. It's chain-the-doors time. One idiot was even arguing that allowing the site to stay up actually encouraged productivity. Because that's what piracy does; encourage productivity. By decreasing the chances someone will be compensated.

MU was accused of breaking the law, and doing so in a flagrant manner. Ignoring that to make broad generalizations about what it might mean is a slippery slope argument. Saying they should've left the site up for the sake of the few legit users is also wrong, just like legit customers might be inconvenienced by the money-laundering place going down. And freezing only the pirated files, or even determining which files those are, is basically impossible without manually downloading and checking them. The millions of files.

But all you have to do is wave the "freedoms oppressed" flag in front of Reddit and they charge, regardless of the fact that this is an excellent example of a corrupt company, and that Megaupload is legally so screwed they couldn't get out of this with a defense team consisting of Johnny Cochrane, Perry Mason, Ben Matlock, and Phoenix Wright.

Comments

[skanrashke.livejournal.com]

3 reasons I disagree with this:

1) Actors make millions of dollars, teachers barely scrape a living
2) Most movie companies have majority shareholders who sit in congress
3) Laws are meant to protect people, not the lawmakers themselves

It may be against the letter of the law, but when the only thing the lawmakers are interested in doing is protecting their pocketbooks and using every governmental means at their disposal- I'm sorry, I'm not in the top 1%, I don't get to cheat and lie and be above the law. If I want to watch a movie, I'm going to pirate it. If I find a movie I really like? I buy it. I've got a whole unopened chronicles of narnia sitting on my shelves <3 But I'm not going to drop $30 on a movie to find out what its like, I'm going to watch it first. Who can afford to watch all those movies? (The only reason I watch so many is I get to sit at home sewing all day long, and tv is basically crap)

[mcity.livejournal.com]

>I don't get to cheat and lie and be above the law.

Guess how much money MU made? Here's a hint; it was, according to some dude on reddit, the 13th most popular website on the Internet. Guess who was violating both the spirit and the letter of the law? MegaUpload again. In fact, staff members were actively posting links to pirated files, according to emails.

I have no problem with people not paying for stuff because they think it's too expensive. But by they don't have the right to take stuff for free, especially when they have to violate the rights of others to do so. And copyright is a right. It's even in the name.

[skanrashke.livejournal.com]

You're speaking as though they were violating the rights of an individual- they weren't. The law broken here was that they were illegally promoting circulation of movies, music and whatever else- all belonging to corporations such as universal music, paramount, etc. The reason it was shut down was because Megabox was about to come out, which would have been in serious competition with iTunes and universal music. If they legitamately wanted to shut down every internet group that wanted to circulate illegal material, then at least it would seem cohesive. They're only shutting down companies that are going to impose apoun rival corporations profits.

Also, I doubt Megaupload made nearly as much as any of the companies that it was impinging apoun. Although measuring profit margain isn't part of the initial debate, I do believe if we're going to compare profit margain, we might as well. I don't have the numbers, but if you do I'm very interested to hear them.

The fact of the matter is, New Zealand isn't part of the United States jurisdiction. If they're doing something illegal, file a claim for extradition. But going over to another country and taking hostile action is waging war. Sorry, that's all there is to it. If you think we should pick on smaller countries to support our fat cats, you're welcome to that opinion- if it were on American soil I wouldn't have such a huge problem with it, but thats such draconian policy to just go in and take/destroy what you want it's pretty much solid proof that we need to clean the entirety of congress out and vote in new havent-been-in-the-game-forever politicians. Or better yet, citizens instead of politicians.

[degraine.livejournal.com]

You're speaking as though they were violating the rights of an individual- they weren't.

*QI klaxon*

No, actually, they were violating the rights of quite a lot of individuals. And very large media companies, yes, but you don't get to pick and choose whom a law defends based on whether you like them or not.

If they're doing something illegal, file a claim for extradition.

They did. This is the process that is currently going on.

[mcity.livejournal.com]

I really hate how the debate over Piracy has become an Us v. Them thing. The same copyright laws that protect Sony or Warner Bros. protect some 14-year old kid posting poorly-drawn furries on deviantART.

[mcity.livejournal.com]

You're speaking as though they were violating the rights of an individual- they weren't. The law broken here was that they were illegally promoting circulation of movies, music and whatever else- all belonging to corporations such as universal music, paramount, etc.

I don't care whether it's an individual's right's or a company's rights being violated, actually. Rights are rights. You can't violate those lightly, especially without need. If you check out my dA gallery, you'll note how much of my art is Creative Commons. CC requires copyright to exist to have any legal value whatsoever.

The reason it was shut down was because Megabox was about to come out, which would have been in serious competition with iTunes and universal music.

Unproven conspiracy theory. Certainly, there was enough cause to investigate and shut them down even without "Megabox".

If they legitamately wanted to shut down every internet group that wanted to circulate illegal material, then at least it would seem cohesive.

If you get caught speeding, you can argue that the cop should've gone after everyone else too, but that doesn't mean you weren't speeding.

They're only shutting down companies that are going to impose apoun rival corporations profits.

No, what they shut down one of the biggest and most visible providers of pirated material on the web. What MU may have been about to become is entirely secondary, unless you have some evidence. Correlation is not causation.

Also, I doubt Megaupload made nearly as much as any of the companies that it was impinging apoun.

Irrelevant.

Although measuring profit margain isn't part of the initial debate, I do believe if we're going to compare profit margain, we might as well. I don't have the numbers, but if you do I'm very interested to hear them.

I really don't see the need to provide numbers to back up your irrelevant claim. You were the one talking about the 1%, but MU is one of those profitable companies that thinks its above the law.

The fact of the matter is, New Zealand isn't part of the United States jurisdiction. If they're doing something illegal, file a claim for extradition. But going over to another country and taking hostile action is waging war.

No, they filed for extradition.

If you think we should pick on smaller countries to support our fat cats, you're welcome to that opinion

This isn't a "smaller country", these are actions against a specific company and individuals within it whom the evidence indicates were knowingly breaking the law.

if it were on American soil I wouldn't have such a huge problem with it, but thats such draconian policy to just go in and take/destroy what you want it's

Except that's not what they're doing.

pretty much solid proof that we need to clean the entirety of congress out and vote in new havent-been-in-the-game-forever politicians. Or better yet, citizens instead of politicians.

I mention like every five minutes I live in Britain, and I come from the Bahamas.

Oh, and for the record, SOPA and similar acts are a crock of nonsense. Not because of some concerns about censorship, for me, but because they give unreasonably broad power, are vaguely worded, and try to force ISPs to police for infringement, in manners which may actually contradict other acts, like the DMCA. It's like expecting flight attendants to be Air Marshals.